Carolyn Case admitted she tied up the little girl, her niece's daughter, but it wasn't to hurt her. She said it was to protect her.

It was Case's Lawrenceburg home that investigators said three adults took turns disciplining a toddler by tying her to her bed for hours at a time.

Case pleaded guilty to criminal abuse Tuesday. She arrived home and agreed to talk, telling WLKY she wants to set the record straight.

"I never hurt or abused a child in my life," said Case.

As part of a plea deal, and at her lawyer's urging, she entered a guilty plea.

The little girl, who was just 3 years old at the time, is her niece's daughter.

A neighbor along the street came in to use the bathroom and later called authorities. Prosecutors were stunned.

"Why would you do that to a child? It's clearly a danger. Our biggest concern if a child is ever placed in that situation and a fire was to break out or they could get asphyxiated," said Commonwealth's Attorney Laura Donnell.

But Case said the girl was loosely tied up using a T-shirt and could have easily gotten free.

The toddler, Case said, gets out of bed and gets into things. Case said she ties her up for what she calls protection.

Her niece, Rebecca Medley, and her husband, Herbert, she said, tie the little girl up to discipline her and to keep her out of the way.

"All Rebecca wanted to do was sit and watch TV. Don't mess up her 'Jeopardy!' and 'Wheel of Fortune,' said Case.

The abuse, prosecutors said, went on between June and August 2012 before the little girl was removed from the home. Now, they said, she's thriving.

"At the end of the day, that's what's most important, that the child is taken out of a bad situation and placed in a good situation," said Donnell.

Case is facing up to five years behind bars. That's in a bad situation, one she said she tried to stop.

"It was stupid, I told them it was wrong and we need to quit it," said Case.

Case will be sentenced in Anderson County Court on Feb. 18. The state has recommended a five-year sentence.

As part of her plea deal, Case is also set to testify when the girl's parents are tried this spring.

CASE. A WOMAN POLICE SAY TIED A TODDLER TO HER BED FOR HOURS AT A TIME HAS PLEAD GUILTY. BUT TONIGHT THAT WOMAN IS SPEAKING OUT, DEFENDING HER ACTIONS. WLKY'S LAUREN ADAMS SPOKE EXCLUSIVELY TO THAT WOMAN. SHE JOINS US NOW WITH MORE ON THIS STORY. LAUREN? CAROLYN CASE ADMITS SHE DID TIE UP THE LITTLE GIRL- HER NIECE'S DAUGHTER- BUT IT WASN'T TO HURT HER, SHE SAYS IT WAS TO PROTECT HER. LA: IT'S HERE AT THIS LAWRENCEBURG HOME INVESTIGATORS SAY THREE ADULTS TOOK TURNS DISCIPLING A TODDLER BY TYING HER TO HER BED FOR HOURS AT A TIME. CAROLYN CASE PLEAD GUILTY TO CRIMINAL ABUSE TUESDAY. SHE ARRIVES HOME AND AGREES TO TALK- TELLING US SHE WANTS TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT. CC 3637 18:33:56 I NEVER HURT OR ABUSED A CHILD IN MY LIFE LA: BUT AS PART OF A PLEA DEAL, AND AT HER LAWYER'S URGING SHE HAS ENTERED A GUILTY PLEA. THE LITTLE GIRL- JUST 3 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME- IS HER NIECE'S DAUGHTER. IT'S A NEIGHBOR ALONG THIS STREET WHO COMES IN TO USE THE BATHROOM AND LATER CALLS AUTHORITIES. PROSECUTORS ARE STUNNED: LD 13625 17:28: 05 WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO A CHILD? IT'S CLEARLY A DANGER. OUR BIGGEST CONCERN IF A CHILD IS EVER PLACED IN THAT SITUATION AND A FIRE WAS TO BREAK OUT OR THEY COULD GET ASPHYXIATED... LA: BUT CAROLYN CASE SAYS THE GIRL IS LOOSELY TIED UP USING A T-SHIRT AND COULD HAVE EASILY GOTTEN FREE. THE TODDLER, SHE SAYS, GETS OUT OF BED AND GETS INTO THINGS- SHE TIES HER UP FOR WHAT SHE CALLS PROTECTION. HER NIECE, REBECCA MEDLEY AND HER HUSBAND, HERBERT - SHE SAYS - TIE THE LITTLE GIRL UP TO DISIPLINE HER AND TO KEEP HER OUT OF THE WAY. CC 3647 18:40:35 ALL REBECCA WANTED TO DO WAS SIT AND WATCH TV, DON'T MESS UP HER JEOPARDY AND WHEEL OF FORTUNE. LA: THE ABUSE, PROSECUTORS SAY, WENT ON BETWEEN JUNE AND AUGUST OF 2012 BEFORE THE LITTLE GIRL WAS REMOVED FROM THE HOME. NOW, THEY SAY, SHE'S THRIVING: LD 3626 17:34:21 AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT. THAT THE CHILD IS TAKEN OUT OF A BAD SITUATION AND PLACED IN A GOOD SITUATION LA: NOW, IT'S CAROLYN CASE- FACING UP TO 5 YEARS BEHIND BARS- THAT'S IN A BAD SITUATION, ONE SHE SAYS, SHE TRIED TO STOP: CC 3637 18:38:18 IT WAS STUPID, I TOLD 'EM IT WAS WRONG AND WE NEED TO QUIT IT CAROLYN CASE WILL BE SENTENCED IN ANDERSON COUNTY COURT ON FEBRUARY 18TH. THE STATE HAS RECOMMENDED A 5 YEAR SENTENCE. AS PART OF HER PLEA DEAL,CASE IS ALSO SET TO TESTIFY WHEN THE GIRL'S PARENTS -- HER NIECE, REBECCA AND HUSBAND, HERBERT MEDLEY ARE TRIED THIS SPRING. I'M LAUREN ADAMS, WLKY